Emergency Survival Kits - What To Think About Before Making One

It doesn't matter where you live something could happen that makes an emergency survival kit a priority.  Power outages, storms, just to name a couple of things that you should be prepared for. Having an emergency survival kit can be a life-saver. Stocking up on supplies, having a plan, and learning new skills doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. In the end you will be glad that you did it for your family. They will be glad that you did it also. Below is a list of some things to think about before you even start to build your survival kit.

What natural (and unnatural) disasters could happen in your area? Do you live in a quake zone? wildfires? flooding? tornadoes? blizzards? Do you live near a nuclear power plant? These are just a few things to think about and then prepare accordingly. Have a plan on how to protect your home, a map of "escape", and other precautions. Find out what your region's potential for being flooded, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. The more you know about where you live , the better you will be able to get prepared for what might come. Here is a good place to start - Natural Disaster Alert Maps
or here - Alert Map

You also need to think about how long you might be without access to utilities or supplies.  Has anything in your area happened before? If it has than you might have an idea of about how long it might take for power and more to come back online. Take that into account while planning your emergency survival kit. You have to have plenty of clean water, food, etc. If your power is out for an extended time how do you plan on cooking? Cleaning? Heating your home? Get prepared now and learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electric to your home. If something did happen major to your home being able to shut off the gas is very important. It is handy to have a radio, flashlight, etc . I just got one of these, Ambient Weather WR-089 Compact Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio, Flashlight, Smart Phone Charger with Cables, I was really surprised at how small it was, but it charges everything in our house. Cellphones, my Kindle, my little USB fan/light, and more. So the size is probably really perfect. I can grab it and put it in my Bug-out-bag. I am even thinking of buying a second one just to have in the trunk of the car at all times. 

It is not something that you want to happen, but you should also be prepared for any medical emergencies. Have a well-stocked medical kit. Maybe take your family and learn CPR. Does someone in your household have a medical condition that requires prescription medication? It is something to think about and get prepared for now.

If you do have to evacuate your home, do you have a way out and a portable kit at the ready? A Bug-Out-Bag? Each family member should have their own that is always ready. If you have to leave grab it and go. It should have enough supplies in it to last about 72 hours. A Bug-out-bag is more for short term survival. So you should have another plan for long-term survival on top of having a bug-out-bag. You should even keep one in your car. Plan on a meeting place for your household in case something happens when not everyone is at home. Maybe even stash spare set of keys to your vehicles out side of the home , but well hidden. Just in case you are not able to get back into your home. Have all of your important papers, I.D.s , etc in one handy, waterproof, and fireproof container that you can grab easily while you leave.

How many people are you getting your survival kit prepared for? Are you thinking about neighbors and friends also. Do you have any pets and children that you have to prepare for? Children and pets are a whole other thing to prepare for. Pet food, snacks, toys, etc. Have items on hand for little kids to keep them occupied while you do the worrying. You should have at least a 4 week supply of food stocked up. A way to get clean water is another must! You have to have a way to filter and clean water after your stockpile of bottled water runs out.

These are just some of the things to think about while starting your emergency survival kit. If you think about all of this and then what your family needs , you should be well on your way to having a prepared household. 

Food Storage Recipe - Beef Taco Skillet

Beef Taco Skillet

1 pound ground beef or use your freeze dried beef flavored TVP or beef

1 can  Condensed Tomato Soup

1/2 cup Picante Sauce

1/2 cup water

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook up your beef and drain it well. Stir the soup, picante sauce, water and tortillas in the skillet and heat to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for a few minutes.  Stir it well and top with the cheese. Serve.

Save Money With Online Coupons

Use these tips to save some money at the grocery store.

Follow a coupon schedule. You can get the best deals and the best coupons at the beginning of each month. If you find a amazing coupon online make sure to print out the limit of them. Most are able to be printed 2 times.

Call your local stores ahead of time to make sure they will even accept the coupons that you print off from the internet. Some stores don't like to take them and this will save you a lot of time and ink to know ahead of time. When you do take them in take the whole page so that the cashier can see the URL at the top.

Another great thing is that a lot of stores have online coupons that are paperless. You load them onto your rewards card. Print off the list of the ones you loaded onto your card so you don't forget them. Register your card online and most stores have coupons that you can then load onto the card. Use your card at the checkout and it is automatically done for you.

If there is an item that you buy often visit the manufacturer's website to look for coupons, deals, rebates, etc. Usually as easy as signing up for their newsletter. You will get deals and coupons than in your email.

Food Storage Recipe - Potato Soup Mix

This is a great recipe that you can mix together and store up in mason jars. Always have it on hand in your pantry.

Potato Soup Mix

1 1/2 cup instant potato flakes

1/2 cup powdered coffee creamer

1 package chicken gravy mix

2 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoon seasoning blend ...like Mrs Dash

1teaspoon dried minced onion

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cup instant potato flakes

1/2 cup  powdered coffee creamer

Layer each item in the order listed into a wide mouth one quart canning jar. Pack each layer before adding the next. 

To make add the whole jar to 8 cups of boiling water. Mix well and let sit until it thickens. Serve

Vegetable Container Gardening: 7 Easy Steps To Healthy Harvests from Small Spaces

When I wrote this Vegetable Container Gardening: 7 Easy Steps To Healthy Harvests from Small Spaces was free for the Kindle(which I am hosting a giveaway for now.). Almost everything edible that's grown in a traditional garden can be grown in containers - and container gardening is a whole lot easier!

In fact, anyone, anywhere can enjoy container gardening: children, adults, people with limited mobility, people who have never planted anything before, ever, can see amazing results.

This step-by-step guide covers everything you'll need to get started, including:
- sun, soil and water
- types of containers to use
- equipment needed
- seeds and propagation
- dealing with challenges of sun, wind and watering

Seasoned container gardener Mary Verdant shares her expertise the art of container gardening. Armed with this step-by-step guide, frustrated apartment dwellers can indulge their passion for growing fresh food.

If you have a balcony, porch, or even some steps that get some sunlight, you'll find growing edible plants in containers easy and rewarding. You can even grow your own food in window boxes or inside!

Written for the beginner and those with gardening experience, these directions are complete, clear, and easy to follow.